Verdolagas, purslane! Not only is it delicious for a variety of dishes, it is shown to contain five times higher omega 3- fatty acids than spinach! Who knew? They can be eaten fresh or cooked and will add a tart and light salt note. Toss some in with your favorite greens in your next fresh salad. One of the many popular combinations is verdolagas(purslane) with pork in salsa verde.
Head to the farmers market this summer!
The tear drop shaped leaves are attached to a thick stem. Think of it as you would any green leafy vegetable. Verdolagas, when added to soups, will thicken the soup slightly. During the summer, the yellow flowers from this plant are edible as well. The best place to find them is during the summer at the farmers market or a well stocked Mexican market. Just know that is has to be used in a timely matter.
Time is of the essence!
I will confess that in the past I have purchased purslane and didn’t use it in a timely manner. I ended up throwing out 80% of the fresh greens. Not only delicious in stews, tasty in quesadillas!
Once you have prepped and washed the purslane, use it in your recipe. Storing it refrigerated for more than a day will wilt and darken some of the leaves.
Choose pork with some fat like ribs or pork butt. Choose meaty chicharron from the Mexican market, when possible. Keep a few previously prepared Salsa recipes in your refrigerator. I keep excess fresh chile peppers in the freezer.
Once all of your ingredients are prepped, time to cook! The serrano peppers in this recipe are sliced open and added that way. They will add some heat and flavor, but won’t make the dish overly spicy. Well, if your salsa is spicy to begin with, then that’s a different story!
If your pot cannot accommodate the amount of meat you have, brown and sear in batches. Otherwise the meat will just steam and won’t sear or brown very well.
Add your ingredients in layers. It gives the ingredients a chance to sauté and brown a little, adding more levels of flavor. I love my crockpot, but I don’t feel I can get the same results as preparing this dish on the stove top.
Chicharron that is extra thick like this requires more cooking time. Pour in plenty of salsa with some broth so the chicharron is covered. The salsa will reduce and thicken after a little while.
What if you can find verdolagas? What can you substitute with? You could omit the greens all together, but spinach, beet greens and even kale would be delicious in this recipe.
As I was gathering the photos for this post, I realized I didn’t have one shot of the plating! How is that possible? Lol! It was delicious, I promise.
Verdolagas! Purslane!
Ingredients
- Avocado oil or natural rendered pork lard
- 2 lbs. Pork ribs sliced into smaller sections
- Salt and pepper to taste
- 6 cloves of garlic minced
- 4 serrano peppers stems removed, sliced in half
- 4 c salsa verde, see link above
- 2 c chicken broth
- 1 chicken bouillon cube
- 1 lb chicharron con carne chopped smaller
- 1.4 lbs fresh verdolagas washed and chopped
- Pinch of crushed oregano
Instructions
- In a large pot, preheat 3-4 tablespoons of natural rendered pork lard or oil at medium heat for 3-4minutes.
- Add the sliced pork ribs and season lightly with salt and pepper. Continue browning and searing on most sides for 6-8 minutes.
- Add the onions and serrano peppers. For less heat, you can leave the peppers whole. Sauté for 5 minutes. Add the garlic and sauté for 1 minute. Add the chicharron, salsa verde, bouillon and broth. Stir well to combine. Bring up to a simmer and taste for salt. Cook for 20 minutes.
- Mix in the freshly washed verdolagas a little at a time, mixing them in as you go. Add the oregano and mix in. Cook at a light simmer for 10 more minutes or until chicharron has softened a bit. Serve with your favorite rice and beans. Don’t forget the warm tortillas.
Notes
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Thank you for the great recipe!
I am happy you like the recipe Christina!
As someone who gets way too many emails, I have signed up for your newsletter and look forward to it. You have such a great recipes and you are super inspiring. Thank you so much!
I know what you mean about emails, lol! I have been trying to catch up on recipes for the blog these past few months. Thank you for your feedback!
Thank you for the recipes! I don’t respond to a lot of emails I get but this one I had too! I had a purslane plant last year and had no clue what to do with it. This recipe is amazing and I look forward to making it. Thank you for the time you put forth in creating amazing food and sharing with others how to make it. I am very grateful!
Lisa, I truly appreciate you responding to my email. I was hanging onto this recipe for a little while in my files and finally made it a priority to share it.